Public Holidays in Bali

Here is a list of the Public Holidays in Bali in 2006.

Sunday January 1, 2006 New Year’s Day
Tuesday January 10, 2006 Idul Adha 1426H
Sunday January 29, 2006 Chinese New Year 2557
Tuesday January 31, 2006 Moslem New Year 1427H
Thursday March 30, 2006 Hari Nyepi or Bali ‘s Day of Absolute Silence
Monday April 10, 2006 Birthday of the Prophet Mohammed S.A.W.
replacing the official date of April 11, 2006
Friday April 14, 2006 Good Friday
Thursday May 25, 2006 The Ascension of Jesus Christ
Thursday August 17, 2006 Indonesian Independence Day
Monday August 21, 2006 Isra’ Mi’raj Nabi Muhamad S.A.W.
Monday October 23, 2006 Cuti Bersama
Tuesday & Wednesday October 24-25, 2006 Idul Fitri
Thursday & Friday October 26-27, 2006 Cuti Berama
Monday December 25, 2006 Christmas Day
Sunday December 31, 2006 Idul Adha 1427H

•New Year’s Day
We’re all familiar with this one. New Year’s Day in Bali is spent recovering from New Year’s Eve. Kuta Beach will be busy with tourists from overseas, as well as other parts of Indonesia.

•Idul Adha
This Moslem holiday celebrates Mohammed’s will to sacrifice his son for Allah, and Allah responding by killing a goat in his place. Moslems will be attending prayers at local Mosques and goat satay will be eaten around town. Tourists will probably not be aware of anything going and and there are no tourist related events.

•Chinese New Year
This holiday is traditionally a ‘stay at home holiday’ for Chinese people, meaning they celebrate behind closed doors with family. Many restaurants and bars will try to cash in by hanging red Chinese lanterns and serving up something appropriate. Hard Rock Cafe and other nightlclubs (Bahiana in Seminyak etc.) will put on some kind of event to mark the occasion.

•Moslem New Year
(Muharram in Arabic) celebrates the year 1427, in the Moslem calendar. Celebrates Noah leaving the ark on Mount Ararat. It was originally suggested as a fast day by Mohammed, but later became associated with the death of his grandson, Husayn ibn Ali, who was killed on this day in the Battle of Karbala. This is not a tourist event in Bali.

•Nyepi
Nyepi, the Day of Silence is an island-wide ritual cleansing. Evil spirits, that have been chased away the night before, by towering ogah ogah monsters, will return. Everyone in Bali must stay inside, using no lights, making no sounds and acting as if no one is in. This is a very special day for the Balinese and there are no flights in or out of Bali for 24 hours. As a tourist, you might want to leave Bali for a couple of days to Lombok, or check into a resort, where the rules are more relaxed. Nyepi finishes at first light the next day.

•Birthday of the Prophet Mohammed
The birthday of the prophet Mohammed. This is actually the anniversary of his death, and is also oberserved in that sense. This is not a tourist event in Bali.

•Good Friday
Good Friday is a holy day celebrated by most Christians on the Friday before Easter or Pascha. It commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus at Calvary. Special prayer services are often held on this day with readings from the Gospel accounts of the events leading up to the crucifixion. The Protestant Church in Seminyak welcomes tourists, who feel to need to talk to The Lord.

•The Ascension of Jesus Christ
This day celebrates Jesus ascending to heaven, and being resurrected soon after. Special services will be held at churches.

•Indonesian Independence Day
This is the Indonesian equivelant of the 4th of July, a day of national pride. It commemorates Indonesia’s independence from the Dutch. The Indonesian Declaration of Independence was officially read at exactly 10.00 a.m. on Friday, August 17, 1945, thus ended the three and a half years of Japanese rule after 350 years of Indonesia being a Dutch colony.

Indonesians will watch TV parades and speeches and decorate every street and alley with the red and white national flag.

•Isra’ Mi’raj Nabi Muhamad
Muslim holiday.

•Cuti Bersama
National holiday for all.

•Idul Fitri
Marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. Fitr means “to break” and therefore symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period and of all evil habits. On the day of the celebration, a typical Muslim family gets up very early and attends special prayers held only for the occasion in big mosques, in large open areas, stadiums or arenas. The prayer is generally short, and is followed by a khutba. The festivities and merriment start after the prayers with visits to the homes of friends and relatives and thanking the Creator for all blessings.

•Cuti Berama
National holiday for all.

•Christmas Day
Christ’s birthday. Most Balinese do not care about this holiday, though the marketing machine will be in gear in every hotel and resort. Restaurants around town may offer Christmas dinner. Kori Restuarant on Poppies II, in Kuta, is a good place.

Both Balinese Hindu and Moslem holidays use a lunar calendar, though are not exactly the same. Therefore, dates for Balinese and Moslem events change every year, including Nyepi and the holy month of Ramadan.